Dining in Lincoln is now a family affair thanks to the owners of Washingborough Hall Hotel which, after years of neglect and lack of investment under various incumbents, has been given a new lease of life.

Husband and wife team Lucy and Edward Herring may be relatively new to the venue - having been in residence for just 18 months, but already they have gone a significant way to alleviating the venue’s reputation as a tired and over-priced restaurant.

First on the couple’s to-do list was a complete refurbishment costing £250,000. Next was a complete revamp of the menu with Lucy working closely with Head Chef Dan Wallis. The restaurant ditched complicated avant-garde dishes in favour of Lincolnshire favourites implemented with care and attention - and this, claims Lucy has already begun to prove the groundwork of the hotel’s future success.

The building itself dates from 1700, probably build for the incumbent Rector of Washingborough, George Fairfax. Extended in 1790, and again by the last private owners, the Burland family, in 1910, the Hall was seconded by the military then used as a nursing home and next, a night club!

Finally, the building became a restaurant and one of Lincolnshire's top hotels, and has remained so for the past 35 years. Meanwhile, Woodhall girl Lucy met Brigg boy Edward and married, before moving to North Lincolnshire in 2000. The couple owned the Blue Bell at Burton and Redbourne’s Red Lion before noticing that Washingborough Hall Hotel had been offered for sale in 2008.

“We saw the place in the agent’s brochure and whilst I’d fall short of saying we fell in love with the place, we could certainly see its potential.” says Edward. “It was a wonderful property, hidden away, having never quite founds its feet.” adds Lucy. “We knew what it needed; an owner/manager, a family, and sympathetic modernisation.”

The couple spent £250,000 restoring the ground floor, remaining open for business for the duration of the works. Farrow & Ball colours, bespoke soft furnishings and the building’s existing Georgian architecture have been used to skilfully craft a beautiful interior with a welcoming bar, cosy snug, basement Burland suite and ground floor Sibthorpe suite.

The restaurant provides dining for 50, with huge bay window, wooden floor and tasteful window dressing. Meanwhile, Sibthorpe, Burland, the bar area and its snug & terraces area can function as private dining areas for parties of 40, 30, 30 or 20 covers respectively.

Refurbishment has also been completed in half of the venue’s en-suite bedrooms with standard and executive rooms and two four-poster bedrooms designed to be used as honeymoon suites.

Cordon Bleu trained chef Lucy has worked with the venue’s Head Chef Dan Wallis to create new menus for the venue, too. Menus that were previously too fussy have been replaced with hearty and well-though out dishes utilising the best local ingredients.

Whilst the venue offers lunchtime dining, a Sunday lunch menu and afternoon tea menu plus a bar menu the restaurant’s mainstay is its à la carte menu. Five starters, six main courses and a dessert menu with five offerings provide proven favourites. Changing every six weeks, a new menu making its debut at the time of our visit included Salmon Sole & Watercress Terrine and Carpaccio of Beef with Port Reduction starters, and main courses including Sirloin Steak, Breast of Chicken with Pesto & Mozzarella, and Seasonal Seafood Tressé with Prawn & Spinach Velouté.

Desserts and sorbets are home made, and include Individual Summer Pudding, Chocolate & Pecan Tart and a fromagerie option featuring local cheeses. Bread is also made in house, and the wine list reports 34 bins of wine available, in addition to a liberal dessert wine and port menu and provision for coffee and home-made fudge petit fours.

“The menu wasn’t quite right for the venue under previous ownership.” says Lucy. “We’ve reinstated its country house hotel feel, and so felt we had to reinstate menus that are commensurate.”

Serving as the venue’s Executive Chef and front of house ambassador, Lucy believes that to produce good food, quality ingredients are necessary, and as such names like Abbey Parks (vegetables), Fosters and Owen Taylors (meat) and Boston Sausage all feature on the kitchen’s list of daily suppliers.

Making a concerted effort to source ingredients such as Lincolnshire Wild Venison, Enderby Smoked Haddock and Boston Sausages ensures the restaurant is faithful to its food heritage, and is a real priority to the venue.

With classically dressed tables with fine linen & silverware, candles and classical background music, the restaurant’s atmosphere is one of relaxed upmarket style, with food to match.

“We wanted to ensure the restaurant was down to earth, and represented value for money.” says Lucy. “Whilst we’ve retained the boutique hotel ambience and ensured the building lives up to its promise when you enter, we’ve also ensured that standards and quality have been realised.”

“A restaurant can look great and prepare extraordinary cuisine, but that’s irrelevant is the service is poor. We set out to ensure that we under promise and over deliver.” adds Edward.

With solid menus, value for money and customer service all addressed under Washingborough Hall’s new custodianship, the venue is finally - and now highly - worthy of our recommendation as one of Lincolnshire's top hotels.